Game apparatus



Jan. 1, 1935. h c: v, BROWN 1,986,710

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1934 a A A u u 6 62 G 53 I LT 82 oz Q I vg fllg'jjorcl TX 3 21,

Patented an; .1, 1935 i a GAME APPARATUS I Clifford v. Brown,Pittsburgh, Pa.

I pplication January 20,

1934 SerialNo. 707,589

.6 Claims. (crate- 146) This invention relates to an improved gameapparatus and fmore particularly to an improved die adapted tobe used inplaying various games. An object #of theinvention is tofprovide animproved dieiornblock having a relatively large number ofcharacter-bearing faces so arranged that the chancesareequal for each ofthe faces to turn "uppermost whenlthe die isrolled, and

an exceedingly wide rangebf play afforded.

Aparticularly important novel characteristic of the invention resides inthespecial form of 1 die having a large number of faces with certain ofv the faces differing'in shape and ofless area than other faces thereofbut so positioned and with the plane angles thereof relatively to theplane angles of 'the largerfaces that. the.smaller faces are as likelyto turn upasfjth'e -largeifffacesjwhen the dieisrolled; a I Anotherobject pf the inventionis tofprovide an irnproveddie or block having arelatively large number of character bearing-faces and which will be ofaconstruction that William satisfactory in use and can be easilyproducem;a

l The invention, with -;o ner objects and -advantages thereof. and theparticular construction, r combination, and arrangement of partscomprising the same, will be understood from the hereinafter. containeddetailfdescriptionwhen considered in connection with the accompanyingdraw- .ing forming part hereof and illustrating one embodiment of theinvention. s I

ln e awinsi- 1' J11 {Figure 1 an eleva ion of a die constructed inaccordance with the present invention;

. Figure-Zis a plan view 1 i t Figure 3 is a vertical section on the1ine 3 --3 of Figure 1; it l l i Figures .4 ana -{5 1 a detail viewsofthetwo i sections of i the die;:and" l Figurefi is a developed viewshowing the characters uponaall of the faces of the die. 1 t

t i whilelapreferred embodiment ofthe inven- 'tionis illustrated in thedrawing; itwill of course r be understood that changes and modificationsmayj be made the particular construction shown, and the invention may beembodied in other forms, aswill appeal to those skilled inthe art andfalling withinthe scope of the appended claims; without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. A i a. I u. i

The particular. construction of i die or block illustrated in the.drawing comprises a polyhevdron of generalyspherical form having thirty:two faces arranged in four annulargseries a, .b, c, d,-two,of theseriesof faces .beingdispo'sed at .each side: are plane e--.e bisecting' thepolyhedron, andqeach of the faces at one side of this "central planebeing disposed .parallel with c one of i'the faces at. the opposite sidethereof. The intermediate series of faces b, c, extend. Obliquelyfromthe central plane e-e of the polyhedron.

These are, trapezoidal in shape and of similar size. The end series offaces a, d, extend obliquely from the series of intermediate faces. Eachof the. end faces is anl'isoscelestriangle. The

end faces are similar in size to each other and of less area than theintermediateseriesof faces. It will lee-noted that the plane angles ofthe end faces t, (1, with the central plane .eand the plane angles ofthe intermediate faces b, d, with aline perpendi'cular to the plane e-&are different, the dihedral angle between the two intermediate series offaces beinggreater than the dihedral angle between each of;theintermediate series of faces and the adjacent outer series offacesj. i I

. It willaalso be noted that although the triangular shaped end faces a,d, are smaller than the intermediate faces b,'c, saidend faces due tqthe difference referred to in. the plane angles of the respective facesareas likelyto turn uppermost as'i are the larger intermediate faces,when the die is thrown. In the particular construction shown, theplaneangles of the faces a, d, with the plane .ee are 21? 30', and theplaneangles of the faces b, c, with a line perpendicula'r to the plane ee are l i In the particular; construction shown-in'the drawin r thefaces of the die or blockbear the numbers one to thirty-two. As shown inFigure 6 i the relative arrangement of the numbers on the several facesis such that the'sum of the numb erson theouter series of faces z, d, isthe same as the sum of the numbers onthe two intermediate series offaces b, c, this'arrangement m:-

suring anequal chance of rolling ahigh or low number t H The die orblock isprovided with ribs 1 extending parallel with the plane e-e, and.with a plurality of convergingribs 2, saidribs providing raised wallportions bordering the characterbearing faces of the die and serving toprevent rocking of the die when the samejis thrown or rolled.

The die or block is made up of two hollow substantiallyhemisphericalsections 3, 4, molded from glass, .bakelite, oranyother suitablematerial. The sections attheir marginal portions have inter-fittingportions and are secured together at their abutting marginal portions bya suitable cement. The interfitting portions referred to comprise anannular flange 5 on the section 3 fitting into an annular groove 6 inthe section 4, and a lug 7 on the section 4 engaging a recess 8 in theflange 5 of the section 3. The lug 7 :and recess 8 serve to facilitatequick and accurate assembly of the sections. The characters on the facesof thedie or block, which characters are formed: by molding, are shownraised; and the embossed characters are preferfollowing: In connectionwith the two dice. or,

blocks, a chart is provided having thirty-two columns of figures withthirty-two numbers to the column, the columns and the transverse linesof numbers of the columns being'both numbered consecutively.

The two dice or blocks are identical except that they bear somedistinguishing characteristic, as by having the numbers thereon of .con-

trasting color. "I'he numbers of one of the dice or blocks relate to'the,columns, and the num- "jbers of theotherdie or block relate to thetrans-.

erse l ne o .fieure lon t e chart- When he d c a th wn, the numb rthatzappears on th ch t at the i ersect o of the 'Iine'and columnindicated by the dice is the number for the play.

The game is played by the players taking turns at rolling the ,diceuntilthe sum of the numbers rolled by one of the players reaches a predeterie n m r, the playe first reaching this "num er W nh hs' he s me i i hatI claim is:

1 ,Agame device 'comprising'a polyhedron of "general spherical formhaving'an intermediate annular series oftrapezoidal character' bearingfaces of similar size at each side of and extending obliquely from acentral plane of the polyhedron, and two outer annular series ofcharacterbearing faces similar in size and shapeto each other, eachseries extending obliquely fromone "of the intermediate series of faces,the two outer smaller faces and the intermediate series of larger facesto appear uppermost when the device is rolled. v

2. A game devicecomprising a polyhedron of general spherical form havingan intermediate annular series of trapezoidal character-bearing faces ofsimilar size at each side of and extending obliquely from a centralplane of the polyhedron, and two outer annular series ofcharacter-bearingfaces similar in size and shape to each other,

each series extending obliquely from one of the intermediate series offaces, the two outer series of faces being of less size than theintermediate series of faces, and said polyhedron being composed o f twohollow substantially hemispherical sections, the marginal portion of oneof said sections being provided with an annular groove and the marginalportion of the other section having an annular flange to fit in saidgroove, and means for assembling the sections in a definitepredetermined relation including a recess in a marginal portion of oneof the sections and a lug on'the marginal portion of the other sectionto engage said recess, said sections being secured together by anadhesive.

A game device comprising a polyhedron of generalspherical form having anintermediate annular seriesof trapezoidal character-bearing faces ofsimilar size at each side of and extending obliquely from a centralplaneof the polyhedron,

and two outer annular series of character-bearing faces similar in sizeand shape to each other, each series extending obliquely from one of theintermediate series of faces, the two outer series of faces being .ofless size than the. intermediate series of faces, and saidpolyhedron-being composed of two substantially" hemispherical sections,means for assembling the sections in a definite predetermined relationincluding a rejcess .a marginal portion of one of the sections and a lugon the marginal portion of the other section to engage said recess, andmeans for s cu ing the sect ons t r.

fl. A game device comprising a polyhedron of general spherical formhaving an intermediate annular series of trape o dal faces of similarsize at. each side o and extendin obliquely from acentral p ane of thepolyh d n and two mrlarv series of .end faces; each series extendingobliquely fr m one of h seriesof in ermedia faces, said end faces eachbeing an isosceles triangl an s mila iIL iZ to ach ot er and. smallersmaller faces .and they intermediate series of larger faces to appearuppermost when the device is rolled, each of the faces bearing a charac-'t'er." relating to the ga'meq] '5; Agame device comprising apolyhedronof general spherical form having an intermediate annular @series ofcharacter-bearing faces of similar shape and size at'each side of andextending obliquely fro'ma central plane of the polyhedron, and two(inter annular series of character-bearingffaces similar in size andshape to eaQcliothiar'Qeach series extending obliquely from one of themtermediate series of faces, the two outer series of faces being of lesssize than the intermediate series of faces, the axis of thepolyhedronperpendicular to said central plane being shorter thanitsother axis and the a les 'of the outer series of faces with said centralplane being greater than theangles of the intermediate series of faceswitha lineperpendicular to said central plane, whereby the chances areequalized for the outer series ofsmaller faces and the intermediateseries of larger faces to appear uppermost'when the device isrolled.

6. A gamedevice comprising a polyhedron of series of faces being of lesssize than the intermediate series of faces, and the dihedral anglebetween the two' intermediate series of faces being' greater than thedihedral angle between each of the intermediate series of faces and theadjacent outer series of faces, whereby the chances are equalized forthe outer series of smaller faces and the intermediate series of largerfaces to appear uppermost when the device is rolled, each of said facesbearing a number, the numbers being arranged on the several faces sothat the sum of the numbers on the two outer series'of faces is the sameas the sum of the numbers on the two intermediate series of. faces.CLIFFORD V. BROWN.

